Fireworks
by TheFeatheredQuill
Summary: Two people which were predicted to live and die alone, found each other and fell in love. But, amidst a war, they both ended up dying alone anyway- so was the love they shared really worth living for? (Oneshot)


_**A/N:**_**I was bored and in a funny mood when I wrote this. I hope I haven't given you too many feels. Simply a one-shot. **

Marlene sighed and flopped down onto her bed; a quick glance to the sleek, silver watch on her left wrist told her what she needed to know. He was late. He was always late.

"Marlene Marie McKinnon!" Her mother's shrill voice came from the doorway. "Stop lying on that bed like a dog, you'll crease your dress!"

Marlene scowled for the use of her full name, but got up off the bed like her mother had ordered her to do, flattening down her dress while looking in the floor length mirror.

"You look beautiful, darling. Sirius will love it." Her mother cooed, smiling at Marlene's reflection. "Your father and I will be in the drawing room, while Mason and Maisie play in the living room. Don't be too long."

"Thank you, Mum." Marlene smiled, fiddling with the hem of her dress nervously as her mother left the room. Looking up again, she could see the nerves present on her face. She didn't know why she was so nervous, Sirius was a charmer and her parents loved him.

At first, she must admit that her father was very wary about Sirius Black, son of Orion and Walburga, dating his little girl. Due to the Black's history, he, in fact, hated the idea and had told Marlene to break up with Sirius within 5 minutes of Marlene informing her parents of her new relationship:

* * *

_"So, um, dad?" Marlene said timidly, standing by the doorway of her father's study._

_"Yes, Marlene, darling?" Marcus McKinnon replied, turning around in his chair to face her. _

_"I've came to tell you I'm…dating somebody." She said, biting her lip. _

_"Name?" _

_"Sirius Black."_

_"SIRIUS BLACK?" Marcus roared, his eyes nearly popping out of his head. "THE Sirius Black? Son of Orion and that wretched woman, Walburga?!"_

_"Yes, but dad-"_

_"No." He said sternly, "You will break if off immediately, and no arguments or I will arrange you a relationship myself."_

_"I am not breaking up with him, Father," She said, standing up confidently. "Just listen to me, please?" She did her famous puppydog eyes and pout. _

_He sighed, shaking his head. He was a sucker for that look. "Go ahead." _

_"He's different to his parents, dad. He's a Gryffindor, he's smart and intelligent, and funny and brave. He doesn't care for pureblood nonsense like they do; he's been beaten black, blue and purple to prove it. He's disowned. He's different." _

_Her father watched her intently, "You really care about this kid, huh?"_

_"Yes." She replied, nodding eagerly. "I love him."_

_Marcus blinked, looking at her sternly. "Now, Marlene, you're only a teenager. You're in your last year at Hogwarts, I don't want you throwing away your life because of a puppy love."_

_"It's not that, dad. He loves me too."_

_"Well he's going to have to prove that to me." Marcus replied, turning away and returning his attention to his parchment. "Invite him to dinner. 7pm." _

* * *

Marlene smiled to herself while recalling that night. Sirius had turned up, looking simply gorgeous in a black suit, and charmed the pants and more off Marcus and Monica McKinnon. Her parents loved him, but most importantly, they could see how much he loved her.

They had now graduated from Hogwarts, and Marlene and Sirius were on their 4th year of dating. They'd moved in together as soon as they had graduated, got a house not far away from London, but tonight, they were gathering at McKinnon Manor to reveal some news.

Marlene and Sirius were getting married- as well as having a child together. He'd proposed last night after nearly burning down the kitchen, and they'd spent the night curled up on their sofa, talking about their future.

* * *

_"How about, if it's a girl, we call her Minnie?" Marlene grinned, sipping from a mug plastered with a mug-shot of the pair of them on. (Sirius' first Christmas gift to her.) _

_"And if it's a boy, Remus James Peter Black." Sirius smirked in return, planting a kiss on her head._

_"No way, that just spells trouble." She laughed, shaking her head at him. _

_"Okay, fine, we'll call him… Remes." _

_"Remes? What kind of a name is that?" She quirked an eyebrow._

_"A combination of James and Remus." _

_"But you forgot about Peter."_

_"That can be his middle name. Remes Peter Black." He grinned happily down at her, while she just laughed. "Please?" He pouted, fluttering his eyelashes._

_"Fine." She sighed, "If we have a boy, he'll be called Remes Peter Black."_

_Marlene prayed to God last night that she was carrying a baby girl. _

* * *

A knock on the door moved her from her daydreaming.

"I'll get it!" She called, hurrying down the stairs as quickly as her silver heels would let her. She paused briefly to smile at her parents, who were waltzing around the drawing room, laughing and smiling lovingly at each other. Mason and a madly giggling Maisie were darting around the living room, chasing each other with a skeleton they would hang up for Halloween which was only a week away.

The door was knocked on again, and Marlene rolled her eyes as she headed over. "Alright, Sirius, I'm coming!"

When she opened the door, her mouth fell open. Sirius was not standing at her door.

"Mason!" She shrieked, turning and backing away from the Death Eater at her door. She didn't have her wand, it was upstairs, lying across her bed.

The Death Eater smirked from behind their mask and flicked their wand lazily, sending a flash of green light streaking through the hallway.

Mason came running out just as Marlene's terrified body hit the floor with a sickening thud.

"Marly!" He cried in agony, turning his wand and sending a jet of green light toward the Death Eater who had just murdered his sister.

Maisie ran out of the living room, still giggling and holding the skeleton. "Marsy, look!" She said, crouching down beside her older sister with a silly grin. "Look!" The little girl said again, frowning when her sister didn't stir nor reply. "Marsy! Marsy! Please! Mase, why Marsy no look?"

Two more Death Eaters arrived at the door. Their wands were already raised and a wave of spectacular colours filled the McKinnon hallway once again. Green, blue, purple, red fireworks cascaded around, bounded off the walls, ripping apart the family.

Mason was second t to fall, shielding Maisie who was sobbing for Marlene. When he fell, Maisie was lost and went yelling toward the drawing room, the skeleton long abandoned on the floor. Marcus and Monica came darting into the hallway. Being Aurors made them thick skinned, but seeing their children dead in their own house snapped a cord that every parent had.

Rage. Rage rippled from their wands, as their own spells bounded off walls, doors, and eventually, flesh. Two Death Eaters down, one remained. A cackle filled the hallway and another spell headed straight toward Monica, who raised her wand in defence; but the spell never reached her, Marcus had leaped in front of her and the spell shot him into the wall next to the staircase.

Another cry from Maisie aroused the rage cord in Monica. Her next spell hit the Death Eater, but it didn't kill, only enrage. It was like she'd just swatted away an angry wasp, who'd just fly back for another sting.

And this sting killed. But not Monica. The Death Eater killed Maisie, first, knowing it would leave the mother in shreds and unable to fight. But he had miscalculated McKinnon strength and determination. Monica was back, up and fighting, her screams of rage echoed around the empty house and extended right into the garden.

Sirius, who had just apparated onto the step, looking immediately traumatised by the sound. He frowned, approaching the screams, just as they were silenced. Entering the house, he saw a scatter of bodies and blood.

"No…" He whispered, stepping forward. His eyes found the girl in the red dress, first. Her blonde curls tumbling around her shoulders, shock and heartbreak etched onto her face, her right hand cradling her unborn child.

Sirius' sob was enough to break glass. He picked Marlene up and held her limp body against his chest, tears falling like a storm down his face. Through watery eyes, he could make out the bodies of the rest of his family: Mason, dying like the honourable man he was- determination and defence written on his face. Marcus, love and hatred, splattered on his. Monica, loss and tragedy, marked on hers. And little Maisie, confusion and distressed, scarred on her little childish features.

Pulling out the two-way mirror from his pocket, he called for the only person he could think of right now. "They're dead, James." He said, deadpan into the glass. "Marlene and little Minnie, they're dead." He managed to whispered, before he was overcome by yet another wave of sobs.

Sirius had told himself from a very, very young age, that love was not for him. He'd slept with more people than normal, broken hundreds of hearts, yet despite all of those walls and defences he made, he'd still fallen in love. From the minute he first saw her, he knew she was different. And they weren't perfect, they always fought and yelled at each other, but in the end, they always came back. They'd made a promise, unknown to anybody else, to stay with each other no matter what. They would die together, or at least by each other.

Yet Sirius had failed in this promise. Not only had Marlene died without him, but his _child _had died without him. As he lay Marlene back down, he bent and pressed a kiss to her lips for one last time, "We'll stay together in our next life, McKinnon. I promise you that."


End file.
